The International Agatha Christie Festival 2015

Agatha Christie

The International Agatha Christie Festival is celebrating the 125th anniversary of the author’s birth in great style. The programme of events really does have something for everyone. The festival begins on Friday, 11th September with a vintage festival launch party at the Grand Hotel, Torquay and continues with a cornucopia of interesting and varied things to do and see until Sunday, 20th September.

There are Agatha Christie themed walks around Torquay as well as talks with guest speakers including Kate Adie covering many aspects of Christie’s life and times. The Princess Theatre is performing Agatha Christies’ “ Then there were none”. At Torre Abbey visitors will find the International Agatha Christie Festival ‘hub’. The entrance ticket will provide access to the house, gardens and Book Tent as well as a free programme of daily activities and a very special newly curated exhibition ‘Agatha Christie: Unfinished Portrait.’

Ticketed events will also be held in The Spanish Barn at Torre Abbey, The Grand Hotel, The Imperial Hotel, the Princess Theatre, the Palace Theatre, The Little Theatre, Torquay Museum, Cockington Court, Greenway (National Trust), Churston Church and Oddicombe Beach.

For those seeking creative inspiration there will also be a professionally led workshop programme for aspiring writers of all ages. The organisers will shortly be adding a map showing quirky quieter spaces in which visitors can do their own writing or simply read and watch the world go by. For a full list of events and more details of venues and times, visit the festival website.

French author and food writer Anne Martinetti invites you to join her in Agatha Christie’s very own kitchen at Greenway to hear about – and sample – some of the 80+ recipes she has created, based on dishes mentioned in the Queen of Crime’s novels and published in the cookbook Crèmes & Châtiments (Creams and Punishments). To book tickets please visit www.agathachristiefestival.com

An evening of exclusive access to the House and grounds after the crowds have departed. Begin your evening with sparkling wine and canapés, followed by a fascinating tour with one of the extraordinarily knowledgeable volunteers.

This is no ordinary ball. This is The Greenway Ball, taking High Society inspiration from Agatha Christie’s The Yellow Iris. Sure to be one of the English Riviera’s social highlights of the year and raising funds to support the National Trust’s on-going conservation of the place that was Agatha Christie’s much-loved holiday retreat for almost 40 years.